Surplus City closing after more than 50 years
http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2016/09/13/surplus-city-closing-after-more-than-50-years/90260320/

The going-out-of-business sale has begun at a west Springfield destination for preppers, military aficionados and fans of do-it-yourself projects.

The owners of Surplus City, which has operated on West Sunshine Street for decades, announced Monday that the store's last day of business will likely be Nov. 12. By Tuesday afternoon, dozens of customers browsed aisles full of everything from lamps to kayaks, rolls of ready-to-cut foam to the namesake military surplus gear. Most items had been marked down 20 percent.

"I come out here looking for something I can't find anywhere else," said customer Warren Doran.

Brothers Rob, John and Mike Appleby — whose father Bob purchased the business in 1962 — told the News-Leader the store's business peaked around 2000, and that revenue had been declining at an annual rate of about 5 to 10 percent each of the past five years. They blamed the rise of online shopping, and said in recent years they had tried to reduce costs by cutting back the store's hours and dropping employee health insurance.

An additional factor was the fact that the three are approaching traditional retirement age.

"We grew up in the business," said Mike Appleby, the youngest at 61. "It wasn't an easy decision. We probably should have made the decision a few years ago."

"The foot traffic is not there like it used to be," John Appleby said.

The brothers said they believed it unlikely that anyone would be interested in purchasing the business from them, and said they had been considering whether to close all year. They are trying to sell the property; SVN Rankin has the 2.59-acre plot listed for $1.95 million. The building on the site is 18,000 square feet.

urplus City's roots date to 1946, when Mac McSveeney opened an Army surplus store called Mac's Trading Post at 643 N. National Ave.

"It was right after the war, and tons of military surplus was coming available at cheap prices," John Appleby said.

In 1947, John Woodside and a partner bought out the business, eventually moving what was known as Woodside's Surplus City to West Sunshine Street in 1960. Four years later, after working for Woodside for more than a decade, Bob Appleby purchased the business. He moved it to its current building at 3114 W. Sunshine St. in 1968.

Appleby's five sons — born between 1951 and 1969 — began working at the store as young as age 10, and opened additional short-lived locations in Branson, north Springfield and Ozark in the 1980s. Son Jim Appleby, who left the family business in 1990, died of cancer last month. Scott Appleby left involvement with day-to-day operations in 1999 but maintains an ownership interest.

"It really kind of built the lives that we all know," said Jenifer Bice, one of numerous grandchildren who also worked at the store.

Mike Appleby said traveling salesmen used to visit the store in its early years, but that since the early 1980s, its inventory had primarily come from vendors that the brothers met at the numerous trade shows to which they traveled. The brothers also purchased items at military sales and auctions held around the region.

Some components of inventory have been constant. The military surplus never left. And store photographs indicate that the rolls of foam — used by customers for just about everything — have been in stock since the 1950s. Other offerings have been short-lived — the result of the brothers happening on a one-time good deal.

On Tuesday afternoon, there were rolls of mosquito netting and bungee cords, 55-gallon drums and rubber matting, gift bags and $99.99 Army cots. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, John Appleby recalled, people lined up to purchase American flags.

"We've always been really a unique business," he said.

"People like to come and hunt for a bargain. Something interesting that they may not find somewhere else," Bice added.

Jack Wasmer, a Lebanon native who now lives in Florida, said Tuesday that visiting the store has always been a priority when he returns to the area. Years ago, he said, a Marine jacket he bought there was convincing enough to get him an airline's military discount. Tuesday's purchases were a little less devious.

"Just odds and end stuff," he said. "I didn't need this rope and I didn't need this hat pin, but I seen it, and had to have it."

Doran, who was at the store Tuesday looking for a wheel to put on his lawnmower, said he visited two to three times a year.

"Been here for a long time," he said. "I kind of hate to see something close that's been here so long."

Quoted:
SPATULA CITY!

SPATULA CITY...

Quoted:
Their prices were insane, I wasn't sure how they stayed in business.  Especially with Ft.Barnes down in Ozark.  Jason down there is a top notch guy.